Decorative panel



March 20,, 1951 FAULK 2545 809 DECORATIVE PANEL Filed April 18, 1945INVENTOR.

RAYMOND B. FAULK ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 20, 1951 DECORATIVE PANELRaymond B. Faulk, Dcarborn, Mich. Application April 18, 1945, Serial No.589,055

Claims. (Cl. 4110) The present invention relates to decorative panelsand to articles of manufacture made of or carrying such panels.

Among the objects of the invention is a panel or article carrying apluralityof colored surfaces displaying a plurality of colors andconstructed 5 and arranged to present a single one of the colors or apattern of the several colors or modifications of such colors, dependingupon the direction of view of the observer.

Another object is a decorative panel comprising a multiplicity ofgeometrically regular polygonal open cells of which analogous innersurfaces are similarly colored while other analogous surfaces are alsosimilarly colored but with a different color.

Another object is a panel or article in which the colored surfaces haveinterposed light transmitting material.

Still other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled inthe art upon reference to the following description and the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a box or containerconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 partly sectional side elevation of such a box orcontainer.

Figures 3 and 4 are detail views indicating the conformation andcoloration of a strip or strips used in constructing a panel.

The drawing illustrates a form of embodiment of the invention which isperhaps the most simple from a structural standpoint but which is by nomeans the only construction which may be'used to produce the desiredefiect.

In the drawings, several panels are used to produce a box-like containerso that the desired effect is obtained upon the four sides and top.

As illustrated, the container consists of a base member l0, four sidemembers II and a removable lid or top [2. Each of the sides II and thetop 12 is provided with parallel and uniformly spaced scorings l3 inwhich is fixed a plurality of strips M such as is indicated in Figure 3.These strips [4 are provided with evenly spaced notches l5, preferablywith the same spacing as the scoring 13, and receive cross strips l6such as are indicated in Figure 4, also notched, as at N.

This arrangement of the strips l4 and I6 produces upon the several sidesand top of the container a multiplicity of square open top cells 28having a regular arrangement.

As hereinbefore indicated, each of the strips I4 and I6 has its sidesurfaces colored and with 2 the two sides of different colors, forexample one side yellow and the other purple, and, when forming thecellular structure the strips are arranged with similarly colored facessimilarly arranged.

For example, when using strips colored yellow :and purple, they will bearranged so that all of the faces 20 will be yellow and the faces 2|,purple. The strips on the sides will be similarly arranged.

In addition, the outer surfaces of the top 12 and side walls II will becolored with one of the colors used on the strips I4 and I6, or the top!2 may be of one color and the sides I! of the other or two of the sidesH may be of one color and the other two of the other color.

As indicated in the drawing, the base member if! preferably extends ashort distance beyond the side walls H as at [BA in order to provide anabutment or stop against which the lower ends of the vertically arrangedstrips 15 abut. This provides for better alignment and also furnishessome protection for the strips.

Further, the terminal portions 25 of the strips hi and I6 are preferablyrounded or beveled as shown. v

The strips l4 and 16 may be of any suitable material such as sheetmetal, card board, or plastic material. In the latter case, it ispreferred to make strips of a transparent or light transmittingmaterial, and to make them of a sufficient thickness to be clearlyvisible between the colored faces and to omit coloring material from theedge faces. When such material is used, light will be transmittededgewise of the strip and furnish a luminous stripe between areas ofcolor.

With a container constructed as above described, no two observers Willobtain simultaneously the same impression of the article, since itsappearance from any two directions, no matter how small the angle ofdifference, will be different. For example, from any of the directionsindicated by the arrows A, B, C', D, E, F, G, H, different proportionsof the two colors will make up the pattern of color presented. Further,depending .upon the angle of view and the strength of the illuminationof the object, more or less of each color will be reflected upon theother so as to modify it. i

It should be noted that when making the panel of transparent plastic orother light transmitting material, the top, bottom and side'pieces I0,I! and 52 will also be made of such material. In such a case, thediagonal surfaces of the strip ends and the beveled edge of bottom It]will greatly aid in the apparent illumination of these parts, and, tofurther aid in such illumination, the strips 14 and I6 may be notched asindicated at MA and [6A.

While only the two colors yellow and purple have been specified, it iscontemplated to use any colors desired. For example, the colors used maybe complementary or even difierent shades of the same color.

Further, instead of using a solid or continuous color upon a face of astrip, suitable designs may be used, so long as analogous interior facesor walls of the multiplicity of open cells are similarly colored whileother analogous faces are also similarly colored but with a differentcoloration.

Further, while a decorative container has been specifically described,it is contemplated to use panels, similarly constructed and colored, asdecorative panels for other articles of manufacture.

I claim:

1. For decorating an outer wall of a container a panel comprising astructure consisting of a multiplicity of outwardly open rectangularcells,

'the septa for said cells having certain analogous faces similarlycolored and other analogous faces differently colored, said septa beingmade of transparent material with their edge surfaces free of colormaterial.

2. For decorating an outer wall of a container a panel comprising astructure consisting of a multiplicity of outwardly open rectangularcells, the septa for said cells having certain analogous faces similarlycolored and other analogous faces difierently colored, said septa beingmade of transparent material with their edge surfaces free of colormaterial, the coloring material for said faces being opaque.

3. A decorative panel for an article of manufacture consisting of asheet of light transmitting material having fixed to its surface astructure of light transmitting material providing a multiplicity ofoutwardly open polygonal cells, the bottoms of which are formed by saidsheet, said cells being Vari-colored on their inside walls and havinganalogous walls similarly colored.

4. A decorative panel for an article of manufacture consisting of asheet of light transmitting material having fixed to its surfacestructure of light transmitting material providing a multiplicity ofoutwardly open polygonal cells, the bottoms of which are formed by saidsheet, said cells being vari-colored on their inside walls and havinganalogous walls similarly colored, the edge surfaces of said sheet andof the septa for said cells being free from coloring material.

5. For decorating the side walls and cover of a container, panels eachconsisting of a structure providing a multiplicity of outwardly openpolygonal cells the septa of which are normal to the supporting surfaceand so arranged that those on said cover form in effect continuationsor" certain of those on the side walls, the interior walls of said cellsbeing vari-colored with analogous walls similarly colored, and each ofsaid side walls and cover being colored the same as one of said interiorcell walls, said walls, cover, and cellular structure being made oflight transmitting material and having all edge surfaces capable oflight transmission.

RAYMOND B. FAULK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS France Apr. 22, 1903

